


Standing Steady

by YouAreTheBrightest234 (TransLucas)



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Anxiety, Asthma, Bucky Barnes & Peter Parker Friendship, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bucky is Peter's dad, Clingy Peter Parker, Crying, Dad Bucky Barnes, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fever, Field Trip, Fluff, Gen, Hurt Peter Parker, Hurt/Comfort, I just really love Dad!Bucky, Medical Inaccuracies, Medical Procedures, Nightmares, Panic Attacks, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker's Field Trip to Stark Industries, Platonic Cuddling, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Bucky Barnes, Sickfic, Whump, Wisdom Teeth
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-30
Updated: 2019-01-07
Packaged: 2019-08-11 01:05:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16465748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TransLucas/pseuds/YouAreTheBrightest234
Summary: Peter just reminds Bucky so much of Steve and God knows how Steve turned outAKAA bunch of one-shots where Bucky is a DAD and I love him for it.





	1. I've Got You

Bucky stared at the ceiling for hours. Like, actual, literal hours before he sat and up and huffed a sigh of frustration, "FRIDAY, is anyone else up?"

"Mr. Stark and Dr. Banner are in the 6th level lab, and Mr. Parker is in the gym,"  The AI responded cheerfully.

Knowing Peter had changed Bucky. It had made him kinder, more caring, and less afraid of himself. Peter had changed him. He knew this because his first thought was,  _What is Peter doing up at this hour?_ Bucky threw on a sweatshirt and padded downstairs to the gym.

He stopped in the doorway and took a minute to study the scene in front of him. A blanket lay at the edge of the gym, forgotten. Bucky recognized it from Peter's bed. Only the light in the corner was on. Peter was punching one of Steve's reinforced bags. Tear tracks glistened in the light and it sounded like he was having a hard time breathing. Slowly, but loudly enough to make sure Peter heard him, Bucky approached.

Peter hesitated when he heard Bucky approach, but didn't stop. Right before he threw another punch, Bucky caught his hand gently. Peter didn't pull away, but straightened up and stared at his hand in Buckys. He hadn't wrapped his knuckles and it showed. There were shallow, open cuts on each of his knuckles. Bucky looked at them and shook his head, "You and Steve are always forgetting to wrap your hands. You're going to hurt yourself." Bucky released his hand and walked over to the first aid kit on the wall. Peter simply watched.

"Why are you down here?" He asked hesitantly.

Bucky motioned for Peter to sit on the bench, "Why are you?"

Peter raised an eyebrow, "I asked you first."

Bucky chuckled as he pulled out an alcohol wipe and sat next to Peter, "Fair enough. Couldn't sleep. What about you?"

Peter hissed as Bucky wiped at his knuckles. Bucky muttered an apology as Peter continued, "I had another nightmare." He admitted sheepishly. He looked at the ground, refusing to meet Bucky's eyes. His cheeks were flushed pink, a sharp contrast to the dark circles under his eyes.

Bucky watched as Peter's body language shifted from calm to nervous and anxious. He was hunched over and his breathing was still sharp and irregular, "Have you used your inhaler today?" 

Peter shook his head, "Didn't need it." 

Bucky chuckled as he pulled a spare one from the drawer, "Like hell, kid." He tossed the inhaler to Peter, who caught it, rolled his eyes, but held it to his mouth. After a few moments, his breathing deepened to a regular interval.

Bucky watched as Peter leaned against the wall and stared at the large skylight, watching the stars. For just a moment, Peter looked young. He really looked like a teenager, "You know, that's the 3rd time this week, Pete. Maybe we need to talk to someone about this."

Peter nodded, "I know."

They sat and gazed out at the stars for a while until Peter yawned and leaned against Bucky's shoulder, "I'm so tired," He started, "But I can't sleep. I know what's going to happen if I sleep. I'm going to wake up in a cold sweat, where I can't breathe or move or see. And I want to sleep," Peter's voice broke, "but I just can't."

Bucky shifted and held Peter close as he started to cry exhaustedly, "It's okay, kid, I've got you. You're alright." Bucky said, carding a metal hand through Peter's soft curls, "You can sleep. You can sleep because I'm right here. I'm going to protect you and I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

Peter sobbed into Bucky's sweatshirt and buried his face in Bucky's shoulder. Gently, Bucky hoisted Peter up on his hip, then grabbed the blanket and headed upstairs. Peter's crying didn't cease until long after Bucky had laid down on the couch with the teenager still latched on to him. Bucky rubbed Peter's back and comforted him until Peter lifted his head and wiped the last few tears away.

"You feel better?" Bucky asked gently. Peter nodded but still cuddled close to Bucky, "Go to sleep, kid. I've got you."

Bucky tucked the blanket around Peter and lightly kissed the top of his head, "I've got you."


	2. Feverish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter gets sick.
> 
> Really sick.

Bucky should've known something was off when Peter asked to take a nap after coming home from school. No matter how tired Peter was, he almost never slept unless it was actually time for bed. But Bucky told him he would wake him up at dinner and let that be that.

Bucky set the cooked pizza on the counter and crossed to Peter's room. He knocked lightly on the door before opening it anyway. 

He reached Peter's bed to find Peter's eyes closed tightly and his forehead gleaming with sweat.  _Nightmare_ is his first thought, but no, that wouldn't cause him to be so damn hot. He shakes Peter gently, "Peter, time to wake up, kid." 

Nothing.

"Peter," Bucky tries again, pulling the blanket away, "Kid, let me look at you." 

He pulls the blanket about halfway down when Peter shivers and curls tighter into a ball. Bucky gently attempts to push the kid into a flat position, "Don't do that, you're burning up." Peter makes a childish whine and his eyes finally open, containing an exhaustion that Bucky has never seen on the kid's face.

"Bucky?" He asks as if he's trying to remember. Bucky feels a sharp pain in his chest, "I'm cold." Peter reaches down to grab the blanket.

He pushes Peter's hair out of the way, "You've got a fever, kid, you just feel cold."

Peter tries harder to reach the blanket, "Please, Bucky..."

"No, Pete." He says more forcefully, "Come on, do you think you can get up?"

Peter didn't answer and Bucky takes a minute to look him over. He's pale, with a red blush on his cheeks. That's when he realizes that Peter is seriously ill.

Damn Tony for leaving and taking Bruce with him.

He scrambles to the bathroom and digs through the medicine cabinet. He takes a moment to ponder whether or not to give Peter some of Steve's medication but decides it would be too strong for the young teenager. So, he grabs some extra-strength Tylenol and a glass of water. Hurrying back over to Peter, he sets the pills and the glass on the nightstand, "Peter, you need to sit up and take this. Then you can go back to sleep, okay?"

Peter groans, but Bucky helps him sit up a bit anyway. Leaning heavily on Bucky, Peter downs the pills and the water. Bucky helps him lay back down and Peter acts as though it took all his energy to do that.

Anxiety floods Bucky as Peter falls back asleep, but he takes a seat at Peter's desk and watches him protectively.

Bucky doesn't know how long he's been sitting there when Peter bolts from sleep and makes a beeline for the bathroom. Bucky is at the doorway when Peter surrenders whatever he had eaten that day. He sobs and dry-heaves as Bucky sits next to him on the floor and runs a gentle hand over his back, "It's okay, you're alright." He repeats over and over again as Peter rests his head against the cool floor

* * *

Peter whines when Bucky asks FRIDAY to turn the air conditioning cooler. Bucky is sitting on the floor next to Peter's bed, which is stripped of its blanket and sheets. Peter curls up tighter and shivers, "Peter, don't, you're too warm for this. I promise it'll make you feel better, just relax."

"I c-can't, p-please, Bucky..." He begs, scooting to the edge of the bed where he can curl up next to Bucky's shoulder.

Bucky sighs and takes a moment before standing up, "Alright, kiddo, scoot over." Peter moves and Bucky lays down. Like a magnet, Peter clings to Bucky and lays his head on Bucky's chest. He dips his fingers in Peter's abandoned water glass and runs some of the cool water over Peter's fiery forehead. A weak moan escapes Peter's lips and he turns his head away from Bucky's hands.

The bottle of Tylenol is almost empty now and Peter hasn't been able to keep any of it down. He debates trying to get him to eat something but decides against it. His mind wanders to running Peter a cool bath, but the boy shivers against him and Bucky files that option as a last resort, just in front of leaving Peter by himself while he runs to get more medicine.

Bucky holds Peter a little closer against his side, wracking his brain for something to help Peter.

Peter's temperature remains at a steady 107.6 and the sweat continues to drip down Peter's forehead, so Bucky takes a deep breath and wakes him, "Peter, let's go get you in a bath to cool you down."

In a sudden burst of energy, Peter shakes his head vigorously, "No, 'm cold..." He whines, pulling himself closer to Bucky. Bucky holds his ground and lifts the kid up, carrying him to the bathroom.

He asks Peter before taking his clothes off and Peter reluctantly allows him, shivering as he stands on the cold tile. FRIDAY runs a bath of room temperature water. Bucky braces himself for Peter to start crying as soon as his burning body touches the water.

Instead, Peter flinches like the water just shocked him and leaps into Bucky's arms, "Hey, hey, I know it doesn't feel good," Bucky started, holding Peter tightly in his lap, "But it's only gonna be a little bit and then it'll be over, okay?"

"No, please, it's too cold-"

"Peter, please, I promise you'll feel better-"

"Bucky, please-"

Bucky steels himself and lowers Peter into the tub, pinning him up to the neck in cool water. Peter lets out a sob that makes Bucky's heart shatter. In his weakened state, Peter pushes against Bucky's arms to no avail.

"I know, I'm sorry," Bucky repeats over and over in a voice so soft that he even surprised himself, "It's almost over, kid, I promise. I know it hurts, you're doing so good."

It almost sickens Bucky how much he sounds like Steve. 

His temperature remains steadfast, so Bucky pulls Peter out of the tub, dresses him, and holds him close. By the time it's dark outside, Peter has been asleep for at least an hour with his temperature dropping to a flat 104.

Bucky doesn't move the whole evening, holding Peter in his arms and occasionally running a wet washcloth over his forehead.

Then, all at once, Peter's fever breaks. His eyes open slowly and he meets Bucky's eyes, "Hey, bud, how're you feeling?" Bucky asks, pushing Peter's hair off his sweaty forehead.

Peter takes a moment to get his brain together then manages to croak out a weak, "Bucky?"

Bucky chuckles, "Yeah, kid, I'm here."

Peter lets out a whimper, then tears begin to make tracks down his cheeks, "Hey, hey, it's alright. You're gonna be fine. You're okay." He soothes, rubbing circles on Peter's back.

Peter just sobs into his shirt and buries his face in Bucky's chest, "I'm sorry, I love you, I'm sorry." Peter mutters.

Bucky's heart clenches, "I love you too, Peter. You have nothing to apologize for."

Peter's already asleep again, no longer shaking and curled up in Bucky's lap. Bucky adjusts himself to lay down on the couch with Peter's head on his chest.

He watches Peter for a few more hours. He didn't mean to, but every movement jolted him awake, thinking Peter was waking or having a seizure or something worse. Finally, around 2 am, FRIDAY reports Peter's temperature at 99.3 and Bucky literally begins to cry with relief.

Peter shifts again and looks up to find Bucky with tears in his eyes, "Buck? Are you okay?"

Bucky chuckles and kisses Peter's forehead, "I'm just fine, pal. Both of us are just fine."

 


	3. In Color

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter hasn't ever really looked at the pictures on Bucky's nightstand.
> 
> inspired by the song "In Color" by Jamey Johnson

 Peter had never really looked at the pictures on Bucky's nightstand.

He knew Steve's pictures: A picture of him and Bucky during the war, a picture of his mom and, in the drawer, a picture of Peggy Carter. It hurt Steve to look at that picture, Peter knew it.

But he hadn't ever looked at Bucky's pictures. I mean, really looked.

Tony had reprinted all of Steve and Bucky's photos from before and during the war. He digitally remastered them and they were clearer than before. Peter remembered Tony offered to color them, but the two soldiers had declined, "It wouldn't be the same," Steve had said.

Bucky walked in the room with a laundry basket as Peter studied the first picture. A boy about Peter's age stood with a young girl, who looked about 7. Behind them, a hundred-year-old New York City bustled around them, "What's up, Pete?"

Peter pointed to the boy, "Is that you?"

A soft smile crept on to Bucky's face, "Yeah. I was probably 15. There was a guy down the block from my house who was taking pictures for about $5. I remember I saved up for weeks to get one." Bucky sat on the bed and took the photo in his hands. He took a minute, then pointed to the girl, "That's my baby sister, Rebecca," Bucky let out a chuckle, "I remember she dragged me all over the street that day. She wanted to look at every shop, every booth." He smiled and looked at the photo sadly, "I miss her every day."

Peter grabbed the next picture from off of the nightstand. Bucky stiffened for a minute and opened his mouth to speak, but Peter beat him to it, "The Howling Commandos!" He said to no one in particular, in an awed voice. 

Bucky chuckled, "Yes, sir. A bunch of idiot former POWs thinking we were single-handedly going to end the war." He said, laughing at the thought, "Good guys."

Peter studied the photo. 8 men in gray uniforms sat stiffly. In the middle of the back row, Captain American stood boldly. Bucky stood proudly next to his friend. Peter couldn't help but notice the wary look on the face of each of the men. He shifted closer to Bucky, "What was it like?"

Bucky sighed and took a minute, "Wild. The best and the worst time of my life. For the first time, I felt like I was a part of something bigger; like I was a part of a movement that was going to change the world." He paused, "But if it looks like we were scared to death, you should've seen it in color. We were just a bunch of kids trying to watch each other's backs." He pointed to Steve, "And your Pops acted like a dumbass the entire time." He said, poking Peter in the side. Peter giggled.

Finally, Peter picked up the last one. It was only a few years old, Peter knew it like the back of his hand. It was in color, taken on a digital camera. 

It was Bucky and Steve, all dressed up in tuxes. Steve had a rose pinned to his suit. Tony, Clint, and Sam stood off the to the left, also dressed up. Steve's arms were wrapped around Bucky's waist and Bucky's hands tugged at Steve's lapels, locking him in a kiss. The small group was clapping. 

Peter knew that picture because he was the one who had taken it. Bucky smiled, wrapping his arm around Peter, "This one is my favorite one. I would remember it even if it was in black and white. I would remember the color of his eyes, the rose on his suit. I'll never forget how he smiled as we read our vows." He tapped the glass in front of the photo, "That's the story of my life. That's what I'll remember." He kissed Peter head, stood, and began to fold the laundry as though nothing had happened. 

* * *

For a former assassin, Bucky sure was a deep sleeper. 

He didn't hear when Peter tiptoed across the floor a few days later, placed the frame, and closed the door behind him.

Bucky woke up with his head on Steve's chest. He blinked his bleary eyes open and cast a look at the pictures on his nightstand.

Rebecca, the Commandos, Steve...and a new one.

Bucky sat up and pulled the new frame off the nightstand, studying it.

Tony- no, Clint had taken this picture. It was the day the adoption went through. Steve and Bucky sat on either side of Peter, still dressed in the clothes they wore to court. Bucky was laughing, his hand curled in Peter's hair. Steve had a bright smile on his face. His eyes were closed and his forehead was pressed to the top of Peter's head. Peter was smiling so big that his eyes were closed too. His nose was crinkled in a laugh; Bucky could practically hear it. 

Bucky felt Steve shift, sit up, and run a soft hand down Bucky's shoulder. He chastely kissed Bucky's neck and looked at the photo, "That's a good one." He said, his voice rough with sleep.

Bucky nodded and leaned back into Steve's chest, "Yeah. It is."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> idk how i feel about this oof


	4. (I'll Keep You My) Dirty Little Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stark Tower.
> 
> Of course, their field trip was to Peter's damn house.
> 
> ____________  
> Peter's class goes on a field trip after Peter has worked so hard to keep his living situation a secret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title inspired by "Dirty Little Secret" by All-American Rejects
> 
> Look at me, with my completely original "Peter's class goes on a field trip to the tower" chapter. What can I say, I'm such a sucker for this trope. But...
> 
> This is...not good...at all...but I'm posting it for some reason oof

Peter took one last look at the paper, then stuffed it in his bag. Here's hoping Bucky and Steve didn't know about it.

He stepped out of the elevator onto their floor and peered around the corner into the living room. Bucky and Steve were nowhere to be found. Peter took the W and dashed to his room, closing the door behind him.

He couldn't resist looking at the paper again, so he pulled it out of his backpack and set it on his desk.

_Dear parents,_

_Our science class has received the incredible opportunity to tour **Stark Industries**_ **'** _research and development labs. Please sign the permission slip and attached non-disclosure agreements to grant your child permission to join us on the trip._

_Mr. Raymond Warren_

Below his name, Mr. Warren had provided his email address and school telephone number.

After May had passed away unexpectedly, Bucky and Steve took Peter in without hesitation. Peter would always be grateful for them, but he had worked so hard to keep this a secret. Sure, Ned and MJ knew, but he thought about all the lies he told to kids who asked why he walked a different way than he had for the past 2 years, or how he had to be careful not to talk about Bucky or Steve at school for fear of being asked too many questions. How was he supposed to get out of this now?

His thoughts were interrupted by a short knock at the door. Peter scrambled to hide the paper in the others on his desk, then tried to act casually. The door opened just as Peter sat stiffly in a chair.

He turned, trying to be casual, "Hey, Buck!" He squeaked.

Bucky raised an eyebrow, "Hey, kid. How was school?"

Peter made a vague gesture, "Y'know..."

He cringed at his own answer,  _Damn it, Parker_!

"Alright...Where's your permission slip?"

Peter's heart dropped to his ass, "W-what permission slip? Did you get a permission slip? I didn't get a permission slip. Maybe I should call Ned and see if he got a permission slip. Maybe I missed it. Which would be strange because I-" He almost cut himself off when Bucky crossed his arms and gave him The Look, "I would definitely have gotten one if there was one."

An awkward silence encased the room as Peter avoided Bucky's stare.

Steve approached Bucky from behind and entered the room too, "Oh, hey Peter! Did Bucky sign your permission slip?"

Peter gulped, "I-uh, well I-"

Steve mimicked Bucky's stance, raising an eyebrow and giving him The Look (Patriotic Edition).

Finally, Peter sighed and pulled it out from under a pencil cup and a stack of flashcards, "I don't want to go."

Bucky took it and grabbed a pen off Peter's desk, "Too bad. Tony set it up and he insisted we sign it. I think he just wants to show you off."

Peter thought rapidly for a minute, trying to find something, anything, to keep Bucky from signing the form, "Isn't it weird that I have to sign a permission slip to go to my own house?"

Bucky scribbled Steve's name on the paper (Steve scoffed indignantly) and dropped the pen back in the cup, "Aren't our lives wild?"

Peter stared at the black ink on the paper in front of him, "Bucky!" He called as Steve and Bucky left the room.

Bucky looked back and reentered, leaning against the doorway, waiting for Peter to get out with it. Peter blushed and stared at the carpet, unable to meet Bucky's gaze, "I've worked so hard to keep this...living situation...a secret. I know that the school knows, but it's different talking about it with the kids in my class. I don't want to talk about Aunt May with people I don't even know. I don't know how to explain this."

Bucky looked almost hurt, "So, you don't want anyone to know about us. Because, what, you're ashamed?"

"No!" Peter jumped out of his seat, standing in front of his desk, "No, of course not. I just..." He looked at the ground again, fiddling with his hands, "It still hurts to talk about her. I don't want to waste my time and energy explaining my life to people."

Bucky wrapped his arm around Peter, "Well, I'll let you in on a little secret: you don't have to explain anything to anyone. If they ask you why you live here, your answer can simply be 'Because.'"

Peter giggled, leaning into him, "I guess you're right. As long as you guys don't embarrass me too bad."

Bucky gave Peter a quick kiss on the forehead, then left him with instructions to finish his homework. When he stepped into the hallway and closed the door, he found Steve, Bruce, Clint and Natasha standing outside the door, eavesdropping on the conversation.

Bucky stared at them with wide eyes. They all stared back. Clint spoke first, "We're gonna embarrass him so bad."

* * *

Steve had to practically drag Peter out of bed but he was there. No backpack, no supplies. He had gone to school, only to get on the bus and turn back around.

He was standing in the lobby, his security pass tucked into his jacket pocket. Ned was practically shaking with excitement, "Is it weird to go on a field trip to your house? Did Steve and Bucky think it was weird? God, it must be so weird."

Peter threw his hands up, "That's what I said!"

Flash had kept his distance, but he kept an eye on Peter from across the room. Peter was avoiding his glare as a nervousness settled in his stomach.

Finally, an intern Peter recognized as Sawyer from Dr. Banner's lab stepped up to the front of the group. He waited until the group had settled, then launched into his speech, "Hey guys, welcome to Stark Industries. I'm excited to give you guys a tour of our R&D department and of some of the Avengers memorabilia. Before we head upstairs, each of you will come and get a security badge. These must stay on you and visible at all times. Your teacher will pass them out." Mr. Warren began to move through the crowd, "There are a few levels of security here at Stark Industries. Guests and tours all receive Zeta level badges. This means you cannot go anywhere unless accompanied by someone of a higher security level. R&D interns all have Gamma level badges, meaning they can access labs, research facilities located in other places, and certain designated offices.  Personal assistants, office workers, and other staff receive Beta level, which is essentially unrestricted access to labs, offices, research facilities, and all floors except the personal floors. Finally, the Avengers and their family receive Alpha level clearance, giving them access to everything, including personal floors, such as gyms and bedrooms."

Shit. Peter hadn't realized so few people had his level of clearance. He knew FRIDAY was going to out him to all these people. He cringed as Sawyer shepherded the class toward the scanner. He caught Peter's eyes and smiled brightly, "Hey, Peter! I didn't know you where here!" 

Peter nodded curtly, "Yep."

Sawyer smiled, "I'm sure you know all this stuff already." He joked, then he headed back to the front of the group, "One at a time through the scanner, please."

As each person stepped through the scanner, FRIDAY  _graciously_ announced their name and clearance level.

Ned stepped through, "Ned Leeds, Zeta."

Peter took a breath, then stepped through the scanner, "Peter Parker, Alpha. Welcome back, Mr. Parker. Should I inform Mr. Stark, Sergeant Barnes, or Captain Rogers of your arrival?"

Peter cringed, feeling everyone's head snap towards him, "No, thank you."

"Very well, Mr. Parker."

Whispers spread like a wildfire and Peter could pick up some of them, "Who is Alpha clearance for again?"

"Why would it tell Captain America that Peter was here?"

Flash was the only one bold enough to say something, "Really, Peter? How much did you have to beg Stark to get it to say that?" He tilted his head in mock thought, "Is that why you were so tired this morning? Up all night,  _begging_?" 

Ned stepped between the two, "Back off, Flash."

Peter sighed as Flash stepped back to the group. Somewhere, Sawyer was talking but Peter didn't bother to listen. Ned turned to him, keeping his voice low, "Don't listen to him. He's just jealous."

Peter buried his face in his hands. God forbid someone shows up right about now. He wasn't sure if he would be able to handle the embarrassment.

As if on cue, Bruce stepped out of his lab. He smiled brightly at Sawyer, "Ah. Hi, Sawyer. Touring today?"

Sawyer nodded, "Trying to pick up some extra hours. Saving up for a ring for my girl." 

Bruce nodded and smiled warmly, "Let me know when you're finished. I'm sure I can find something for you to help out with." Bruce scanned the group of kids, then his eyes landed on Peter. For the umpteenth time that day, Peter cringed. Bruce raised his eyebrows, "Peter! I forgot this was today."

Bruce excused himself as he pushed past students. He turned to Ned first, "Ned, it's good to see you again."

Ned beamed, "You too, Dr. Banner."

Bruce chuckled, taking off his reading glasses and sticking them in his pocket, "Bruce, please." He then looked at Peter, "Will you help with the demonstration for your class?"

Peter sighed and met Bruce's eyes. He really couldn't say no to him, "Yeah. I'll help."

Bruce grinned, a rare sight, "Perfect!" He walked up to the front and Sawyer settled the group, "Welcome to the labs, everyone. Sawyer has already gone over the rules, so I won't do it again, but I will remind you guys to be careful. Don't make me use my Ph.D. in medicine and we'll get along just fine." He joked, then he waved Peter up. Peter's face burned. He knew exactly what was expected of him.

Bruce gestured to Peter and handed him some black gloves, "I'm sure you guys all know my friend Peter. Peter's going to demonstrate these gloves for me. They were designed in collaboration with Wakanda's own Princess Shuri." Peter smiled at the thought of his friend. He should call her; it's been a while, "These gloves absorb impact and redistribute the kinetic energy. The Black Panther suit does the same, but we wanted to see if we could make it more compact."

Bruce ushered Peter inside his testing chamber as Peter slipped the gloves on and assumed a strong stance to catch whatever was being thrown at him. Bruce made sure the mic was off, then put a hand on Peter's back, "These are just some gloves I stole from Clint's bedroom, so you better catch this car."

Peter stood up in shock, "I'm sorry, what?"

At that moment, Bruce signaled someone. The garage door opened and a blue Camry came whizzing toward him. Peter assumed Spider-Man mode and crouched to level with the bumper. Closer, closer...

There was a crunch as Peter caught a 1.5-ton car with only a pair of Clint's winter gloves to between the unforgiving metal and his bare hands. There was an awed noise from his classmates as Sawyer continued to talk about Wakanda's contributions to the world and collaboration with Stark Industries. Bruce reentered the testing chamber, chuckling to himself, "Feel good?"

Peter pulled off the gloves, "Is the mic off?"

Bruce nodded, trying to keep a smile off his face.

He put them in Bruce's hands, "I'll kill you in your sleep."

Bruce doubled over laughing as Peter exited the testing room. His face burned as he felt everyone stare at him. Some kid he didn't know very well shouted, "That was so cool!"

Ned puffed out his chest proudly and looked like he was about to say something, but Sawyer spoke before he could, "Let's continue down through the offices, then we'll break for lunch." Sawyer launched into his spiel about how hard everyone in the offices worked. Peter knew that firsthand; Pepper was always working like crazy.

Ned looked awestruck, "How do you just  _live_ here?" He said, eyeing some of the tech in the labs they passed.

Peter put a hand on Ned's shoulder, "Dude, shut up."

Ned looked at him with wide eyes, "Oops. Right. Secret."

The clicking of high heels snapped Peter out of their conversation. Peter turned to see Pepper typing on her phone, walking toward the group, followed by a glum-looking Clint. She looked up and smiled warmly at Peter. The rest of the group had begun to take notice, but nobody said anything, "Hi, Peter. Hi, Ned." She said, brushing Peter's hair off his forehead and smiling at them.

"Hi, Pepper!" The two boys chorused (although Peter's response was far less enthusiastic than Ned's)

Clint waved half-heartedly, "Hey guys."

"What are you in for?" Peter joked. 

Clint's face crumpled to frustration, "I was hiding in the vents to scare you guys, but Pepper caught me."

Pepper patted his cheek, "Next time, darling." Then she smiled and walked back into her office.

"I should go too, but just a warning, Barnes said he and Rogers were coming down to see you at lunch."

Peter's heart swelled, but it was short-lived. He loved Bucky and Steve more than anything, but he couldn't hide behind this internship much longer. His Parker luck kicked in as Sawyer announced, "Now that we've talked a bit about the day-to-day operations of Stark Industries, we'll break for lunch. You guys can follow me to the cafeteria."

Peter had never eaten in the cafeteria. He was always in someone's penthouse when he ate at the Tower, so this was a new experience. He sat next to Ned and pulled out the sandwich that Steve had insisted he take ("I can just grab something from the kitchen!" "Yeah, okay, Pete, talk about drawing attention to yourself!").

He was on alert, waiting to see Bucky and Steve walk into the cafeteria. As lunch was in its last 15 minutes, Peter let his guard down. Maybe he could get through this.

Of course not.

Bucky entered from the furthest entrance from Peter's table and crossed through the group of students, who whispered, "Oh my god, that's the Winter Soldier." Dramatically, Bucky rolled his left shoulder. The metal plates in his arm shifted and clicked into place with a quiet whir.

Peter's face burned and Ned looked at him in alarm, "Bucky. Behind you." 

Ned's eyes got wide, "Holy shit." 

Bucky rounded the table and sat next to Peter. He nodded at Ned, "Hey, Ned."

Bucky and Ned had only met a handful of times. Usually, Bucky hid out in his bedroom when Peter had friends over. Ned and Steve got along quite well, however. Ned all but swooned, "Hi, Mr. Barnes."

Bucky smirked at the formality, then leaned into Peter, "Nobody's been giving you too much trouble, have they?"

Peter thought for a moment, "Hmm. The kid or the team?" 

Bucky chuckled, "Pepper already caught Clint and I hear Bruce made you catch a car." Bucky looked a little perturbed at that.

"Yeah, but it was fine. I've caught trains before."

Bucky gave Peter The Look (Lite), "You're not making me feel better. I'm 100 years old. Cut me a break here, kid."

Peter laughed and Bucky smiled fondly, then it dropped, "Seriously though, anyone I need to worry about?"

Peter shrugged, looking at Ned (who  _also_ shrugged), "Not really. Flash is being an idiot as usual, but he wouldn't dare do anything in a place where someone might see him." Bucky didn't look soothed, "Really, I'm fine."

There was a moment where Bucky simply looked at Peter, then he dropped it, "If you say so, kid. Steve and Nat are working on the fighting demonstration, that's the only reason they didn't come," He raised an eyebrow, "And you know they would push this more than me. Be grateful it was just your dad with the metal arm."

Peter put his head in his hands, "I think I would die of embarrassment if Steve had walked in here."

Bucky chuckled, "I'll be sure to tell him you said that." Peter looked up at Bucky, groaned, and leaned back into his hands. Bucky patted his back gently, grinning, "You'll live, kid. Plus, " Bucky leaned in to whisper, "I'll give you five bucks if you volunteer for Steve's demonstration and kick his ass."

Peter looked at Bucky hesitantly, then he grinned back, "You're on." Bucky laughed once more, then left through the nearest door. 

If looks could kill, Flash's glare from across the room could've lit both Peter and Ned on fire. Peter nodded his head toward Flash, "Flash looks about ready to kill both of us."

Ned shrugged, "I don't understand why. We didn't do anything." The two rolled their eyes at the same time, then burst into giggles.

The laughing dispersed when Flash came and sat in Bucky's seat, "So, it's the Winter Soldier now, huh? Wow, Parker, you cougar. You jumped from Stark to Barnes, who's double his age!" Flash leaned back in his chair, "Gotta say, Peter, I am impressed."

"What was that?"

Even Peter flinched at Bucky's low growl from behind Flash. Flash stood and came face-to-face with the world's deadliest assassin. He stuttered, "I-uh, well, I..." Bucky cut him off by giving him a sharp nod back towards Flash's previous seat. With a noise that surprised Peter more than Bucky's surprise entrance, Flash retreated to his table.

Bucky looked furious. He set a water bottle on the table, "You forgot this when you left this morning." He said. He was clearly pushing calmness into his voice, "I'll see you after school." Bucky essentially stormed off. Peter, without thinking, jumped up and followed.

"Bucky!" He called to the super soldier, who was already halfway down the hall. Bucky stopped but didn't turn around. Peter rushed to catch up to him, "Please don't be upset. It's really not that bad."

Bucky tensed, sighed, then softened his face, "I'm not mad at you, kid. I think you should've said something, but fine." Bucky ran a hand over his face and sighed again, tiredly. Peter looked at the floor guiltily. Bucky smiled at him fondly and pulled him into a hug, "I'm not upset, pal. Go back with Ned. I'll see you in the gym, okay?" Peter took a minute to breathe Bucky in, then nodded into his shirt and pulled away.

Bucky and Peter shared a small smile before Bucky ruffled Peter's hair and walked off toward the gym, "Buck?"

He stopped and turned around.

Peter fiddled with his hands, "Don't tell Steve. Not yet." Bucky nodded once, then disappeared around the corner.

Peter returned and finished his lunch without incident. He and Ned talked about something  _other_ than SI and the Tower and the team. Then, Sawyer called for everyone to throw their trash away and they would continue into the gym.

The gym was Peter's favorite place, besides the apartment. It was spacious and had large windows that let large waves of sunlight into the room. At the center of the room was a 12x12ft sparring mat. Lining the walls were various exercise machines and workout zones. Natasha and Pepper did yoga, Steve boxed, and Sam liked to run. He preferred to run outside, but after he joined the Avengers, he really couldn't get a moment of peace when he went outside. 

At the center of the room, Steve and Nat were dressed in their usual workout clothes. Bucky was saying something to them and Peter prayed it wasn't about him. When Steve caught sight of the group, he cleared his throat to signal Bucky (who stopped talking immediately) and greeted the class with a warm smile, "Welcome, guys. I'm Captain Rogers and this," He gestured to Natasha, "Is Agent Romanoff. She and I are going to be demonstrating a little bit of the way we train. One of the ways we train is sparring."

Natasha stepped forward, "Sparring is ake the motions of fighting without actually landing any hard blows. We use this to keep our reflexes sharp and learn how to be light on our feet." 

Steve crossed his arms, "Natasha and I will show you guys a bit, then," With a twinkle in his eye, he looked directly at Peter, "My friend Peter will give us a hand."

Bucky sauntered over and stood next to Peter. He gave a low whistle to get Peter's attention, then held his hand out at waist level. In between his metal fingers was a $5 bill that was almost certainly from Steve's wallet. Peter and Bucky shared a chuckle until Steve cleared his throat. When they turned to look at him, Steve raised an eyebrow and the two smothered their amused grins.

Steve launched into his tangent about safety when fighting or even sparring, and talked about how you have to know your limits. Peter and Ned stood in the back, watching Bucky make fun of Steve when he wasn't paying attention. 

Finally, Natasha and Steve took a fighting stance. Steve lectured the class about different sparring drills, showing some of them. Bucky rolled his eyes and leaned down to Ned and Peter, "He talks about those like he ever does them." Ned and Peter snickered, then Steve gave Peter a mischevious smirk.

"Well, now that we've talked about drills, we can show you some freestyle sparring. Peter, why don't you come up here?"

Peter flushed and heard Flash snicker, "Peter and I have trained together a bit already, so he knows how to spar a little bit." Then, Steve turned to Peter, "How much is Bucky paying you to kick my ass?" He said in a low voice.

Peter shrugged, "$5. Not like I need it." Then, Peter lunged forward and took Steve down by the waist. The group let out a gasp ( _Did he just tackle Captain America?)_

Peter pinned Steve down, but Steve pulled a knee up and pushed Peter back up onto his feet. Then, Steve laughed a fist forward. Peter caught it, twisting it behind his back and pushing him back down on the floor. Nat slapped the floor, "1, 2, 3, 4, 5!" She cheered when Peter held a struggling Steve down against the ground.

Steve chuckled and Peter let up. When Steve stood up, he pulled Peter into a one-armed hug, "And, that's how you spar, kids. Thanks for coming to see our demonstration!" He said, back in full Captain America mode. Then, he looked down at Peter and ruffled his hair, "Nice going, Pete." 

Peter leaned into Steve's side, "Thanks, Steve." The group seemed too involved in their own conversations (which Peter could hear were about him) to notice Steve press a kiss to the top of Peter's head and then push him off towards Ned and Bucky.

"Dude, that was AWESOME!" Ned said, bouncing excitedly. 

Bucky chuckled too, handing Peter the bill and crossing his arms, "Nice work, pal. Remind me not to get on your bad side."

Peter blushed, "Whatever." He said, dodging the compliment.

Bucky followed the group as Sawyer closed the tour and brought everyone back downstairs. As the group filed out (all staring at Peter. He knew he would have to deal with  _that_ tomorrow), Bucky leaned over to Peter's teacher, "Peter is going to be staying here."

Mr. Warren's eyes widened a bit, "Um, I'm sorry, but Peter has to return to school."

Bucky crossed his arms, the metal plates shifting and whirring as Steve came up behind him, "We sent him with a note this morning, but we'd be happy to have another conversation with the principal if necessary." Just like Steve to go through all that bureaucratic nonsense, while Bucky would use sheer intimidation and force. 

Peter chuckled a bit when Mr. Warren gulped and backtracked, "Oh, I'm sure that won't be necessary. Peter, do you have all of your things?"

Peter nodded, knowing that he would burst out laughing if he spoke. With that, Mr. Warren nodded and followed the rest of the class outside. Peter bid Ned a goodbye with the promise of calling him tonight, then turned back to Bucky and Steve. 

He glared at them, "You two are the worst."

Bucky and Steve doubled over laughing, "Hey, at least Pepper caught Clint before he dropped out of the vents and made you and Ned shit yourselves." Steve managed to get out in between gasping breaths. Bucky was laughing so hard that his face was red and he was leaning against the wall for support.

"I hate you both." He grumbled, walking into the elevator with Bucky and Steve close behind.

They leaned all leaned against the wall of the elevator. Bucky leaned over and poked Peter in the side, "No, you don't."

Peter smirked and let out a small giggle.

Bucky raised his eyebrows at Steve, mockingly, "Oh my god. Someone's ticklish."

Peter tried to force his smile back down, "No, I'm not."

"Are you sure?" Steve asked, poking him on the other side. Peter giggled a little more this time.

Then, as the doors opened, Steve scooped Peter up and tickled his sides and stomach.

"S-stop!" Peter gasped out, attempted to push Steve's hands away. Steve didn't relent until they got to the couch, where he deposited Peter into Bucky's lap. 

The three of them laughed breathlessly. Peter's legs stretched out over Bucky's lap, his head on Steve's chest. Steve's right arm stretched around Peter to play with Bucky's hair gently.

"So," Steve said, smiling mischievously, "When's the next field trip?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd just like to say that any time a character says "That's what I said." I hear it in Anthony Mackie's voice after Sebastian Stan told him his beard looked like Shaft in Buzzfeed's Infinity War tweets video.
> 
> Also in that video, my senior quote: M'Baku could blow my m'back out if he wanted to


	5. Dog Tags

Peter first noticed right before a mission. Bucky takes off the necklace from under his shirt, then Steve follows. They take a moment, one hand holding the dog tags, the other holding onto each other. 

 

Steve presses the tag to his lips, then he puts it over Bucky’s head and tucks it into his shirt. Bucky slips the tags over Steve’s head, then traces the embossed letters with his fingers lightly before tucking it into Steve’s uniform.

 

Peter never really got a close look at their dog tags. Once, he saw Steve’s. It had his full name, his social security number, his blood type, and a C. Peter assumed that meant Catholic. There were two tags on each chain. They were worn; clearly they had seen some shit. And before every mission, Bucky and Steve swapped. 

 

It all happened in slow motion, really. Steve was standing on the ground, running point and fighting anything that got too close to the base they were tasked with guarding. Then, a blast knocked him across the field. A pained look shot across Bucky’s face as he rushed to guard him. 

 

Tony’s jetted down to Bucky’s side and spoke through the comm, “You and Peter take Cap back to the medbay. We can handle it here.”

Bucky didn’t hesitate and neither did Peter. Back into the quinjet, back to the tower, back to the medbay. 

 

The doctors shouted out a lot of things that Bucky and Peter couldn’t quite understand. After putting him on the stretcher, Peter and Bucky were left alone to wait. 

 

An hour passed. Then two. The Avengers returned to no news. Three hours. 

Peter was leaning against Bucky’s chest with Bucky’s right arm wrapped around him. Occasionally, Bucky would bring a hand up and play with his hair. Peter finally dared to speak, “Is he going to be okay?”

 

Bucky gave a tired sigh and Peter cringed at his childish question, “Of course, pal. After all, he’s got my tags on him.”

 

Peter sat up a bit to look at Bucky, “What do you mean?”

 

Bucky pulled Steve’s tags out of his shirt and showed them to Peter, “They always said if you trade your dog tags with your girl, you couldn’t die. So Steve and I always traded dog tags before we went on a mission.” He ran his finger over the embossed text, “He’s still got my dog tags. Which means he’s going to be just fine.”

 

Peter cuddled back up to Bucky and let his tired eyelids guide him into a dreamless sleep. 

 

Peter woke to Bucky shifting, “Hey, kid, wake up. We can go in and see Steve.” That woke Peter up and he stood to follow Bucky and the doctor to Steve’s room. 

 

Peter took a chair at the foot of Steve’s bed. Bucky and the doctor had a short but seemingly pleasant chat before Bucky took a seat at Steve’s side. He smiled softly, taking Steve’s bruised hand, “Doc says they were able to repair all the damage. He should wake up in an hour or so.” 

 

Peter smiled brightly, “I guess your dog tags worked!”

 

Bucky was watching Peter intently and Peter could see the gears turning, “Yeah, I guess so.”

 

* * *

 

Steve sighed happily, “Feels good to get back in the field!”

 

Bucky rolled his eyes, “Don’t do anything stupid.”

 

Steve puffed out his chest, “Stupid is my middle name.”

 

Like clockwork, Steve and Bucky went through their routine of exchanging their tags, then they turned to Peter, “I’ve got something for you.” Bucky said, pulling a chain out of his pocket and putting it in Peter’s hand.

 

One tag proudly read:

 

James B Barnes

32557038 T42 43 A

P

 

The other read:

 

Steven G Rogers

98765432 T42 O

C

 

Peter’s eyes widened as he looked back up at Bucky and Steve. They smiled at him warmly, “Someone’s gotta look out for you, kid.” Steve said, quirking an eyebrow. 

 

Bucky chuckled and took the tags from Peter’s hands and slipped the chain around his neck, then tucked it inside his suit. The metal was cool against his skin but his heart warmed at the idea of keeping Bucky and Steve close. 

 

“T-Minus 30 seconds.” FRIDAY supplied

 

Bucky and Steve stood and looked down at Peter, “You ready?” Bucky asked, slinging his gun across his back. 

 

Peter ran his fingers over the tags through his suit and pulled his mask on, “Ready.” He replied fiercely. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this is kind of rushed? i liked the idea and wanted to post something


	6. None the Wiser

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter gets his wisdom teeth out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOTE: this chapter mentions medical procedures (non-graphic), needles, and minimal amounts of blood.

* * *

“Pete, you’re going to be fine. I’ll be there the whole time.”

Peter was sitting at the counter pouting, “They’re not even bothering me. This is stupid.” He grumbled, then winced as pain shot through his jaw. 

Bucky raised an eyebrow, amused and concerned, as put the last dish on the drying rack and dried his hands off, “Uh huh.” 

Bucky had never seen Peter look so anxious before. He was fiddling with something on his jacket, staring off into space. Bucky could only imagine what was going through his head. He leaned against the counter, getting eye level with Peter, “Hey.” Peter met his gaze, “You’re going to be fine. They’re going to give you something for your anxiety and then you’re going to take a nap and when you wake up, I will be right there and we can go home. Okay?”

Peter didn’t look convinced, but he nodded, "Okay."

Bucky walked around the counter and poked Peter gently in the side, which made the teenager giggle, "Cheer up, kid." Bucky said gruffly, but he pulled Peter into a soft hug. The kid buried his face in Bucky’s chest.

* * *

 

Bucky didn’t like waiting rooms much, but Peter acted like he was a vampire walking into a church. After they had signed in, Bucky and Peter sat in the squeaky chairs and waited. Bucky scrolled through his phone, but Peter fidgeted with his fingers, his shirt, and his jeans. He tapped his fingers on the armrests of the chair and jiggled his leg up and down. 

“Talk to me, Pete.”

Peter jumped at Bucky’s voice, despite its softness, “I’m fine.”

Bucky remained unconvinced, “Give me a number.”

As Peter struggled more and more with his anxiety, Peter, Bucky, and Peter’s therapist had developed a rating system as a way for Peter to explain how he was feeling. 1 meant he was perfectly fine, 10 meant he was having a panic attack. 

Peter hesitated, “7.”

Bucky set his phone down and locked his eyes on Peter, “Hey. Look at me.” Peter didn’t stop fiddling with his shirt, but hesitantly met Bucky’s eyes, “I know you’re scared, but it’s going to be over soon and it’ll make you feel so much better. I’m not going to let anything happen to you and when you wake up, we can go home and sleep.” Peter’s lower lip trembled, “I love you and I think that you’re being really brave right now.”

Peter didn’t answer, just laid his head against Bucky’s shoulder. Reactively, Bucky brushed a hand through Peter’s hair.

The nurse at the desk stood, “Peter Parker?”

Peter tensed, but stood up and he and Bucky followed the nurse back. 

The nurse motioned for Peter to sit down and Bucky took a protective stance by Peter’s side.  

“I’m going to put this IV in, okay? It’s going to give you all the medicine you need.”

Peter didn’t speak, but nodded and held his right arm out. Bucky noticed Peter’s left hand flex, then tighten to a fist, so he wove his fingers between Peter’s without another word. Peter gave Bucky a grateful look. 

The nurse inserted the needle swiftly and Peter winced a bit. Then she secured it on his arm with tape and moved to prepare the Valium. 

Bucky rubbed his thumb over the top of Peter’s hand soothingly. There was a silence that fell over the room, besides the sounds of the nurse working. Peter’s chest was rising and falling faster than Bucky would’ve liked, but he wasn’t sure what to do about it. 

“Okay, Peter, this is an anti-anxiety medication to help you feel more relaxed.”

Peter squeezed Bucky’s hand a little tighter as the medication was injected into the IV. Bucky squeezed back, still attempting to soothe Peter from his position at his side. 

“Number?”

”5,” Peter mumbled, already relaxing as the medication coursed through his veins. 

“Hey, that’s good,” Bucky said, smiling softly. 

The nurse hung the IV bag, making sure Bucky saw her so she didn’t have to disturb Peter. 

“I’ll be right here when you wake up, okay? Then we’ll go home and we can watch a movie.”

”Can we watch A New Hope?” Peter said sleepily. 

Bucky reaches out and pushed Peter’s hair out of his eyes, “Sure thing, pal.”

There was a pause, “‘m tired, Buck.”

Bucky smiles, “I know, bud. You can go to sleep. I’m here.”

Peter didn’t answer but pulled into a deep sleep. 

The nurse smiled, “You’re welcome to wait in the lobby. We’ll let you know when he’s waking up.”

* * *

 

Having a son had made Bucky soft. 

The whole hour, all Bucky could think about was Peter. 

_Is he okay? Is he going to be in pain when he wakes up? What if he wakes up during the surgery? What if he gets sick afterward? What if-_

Bucky’s thoughts were interrupted when Peter’s nurse opened the door again, “If you’ll follow me.”

The nurse led Bucky down the hall, past the room Bucky had deposited Peter in, to a small room that only held a couch, a table, and two chairs. 

Peter was laying on the couch, wrapped in a blanket  

“The procedure went just fine. He’ll probably be a little drowsy for a while and he might want to sleep when he gets home. Just make sure he’s eating soft foods like soup or rice. No drinking through straws for a while and make sure he’s careful when he brushes his teeth. Let me know if you have any questions! We can sign the discharge papers whenever you’re ready.” With that, the nurse smiled and closed the door.

Bucky walked over to the couch and sat down next to Peter, “Hey, bud, how are you feeling?”

Peter crawled into Bucky’s lap and lay his head on Bucky’s chest, “‘m tired.”

Bucky chuckled and wrapped his arms around Peter gently, “Yeah, I know, pal. Are you feeling sick?”

Peter shook his head as best he could, “Face hurts.”

Bucky nodded, “I know. I’ve got some meds for you to take at home. As soon as you’re feeling okay to walk, we can go home.”

Peter bolted up, “I can walk!” He exclaimed, then wobbled. 

Bucky chuckled and caught Peter, pulling him back on the couch, “Slow your roll, kid. They literally brought you in here in a wheelchair.” He joked, eyeing the chair in the corner, “Take your time. We’ve got plenty of it.”

Peter seemed to settle at that and nestled into Bucky. They sat for a while longer, Bucky humming softly and playing with Peter’s hair.

When Peter confirmed he felt well enough to walk, Bucky signed the discharge papers quickly and helped Peter back into the car.

Peter didn’t say much on the car ride home. He was now covered up with one of Bucky’s large jackets and slowly falling asleep again  

“Hey, pal? Don’t fall asleep yet. Okay? Steve said he’ll be home around 4.”

Peter whined but sat up and rubbed his eyes. 

They pulled up to the tower and Bucky walked around to the passenger side to help Peter out of the car. Instead, when he opened the door, Peter latched onto Bucky and refused to let go  Bucky groaned good-naturedly and hoisted Peter up, laying the jacket over him.

He was gentle walking up the stairs, then he unlocked the door and deposited Peter on the couch with a blanket.

Bucky knelt by the couch, “I’m going to go get you some ice, and something for the pain, and a glass of water. I’ll be right back, okay?” 

He stood but Peter grabbed his wrist and said nothing. Bucky knelt down again at eye level with Peter, “Hey, what’s wrong?”

“Don’t go,” Peter whined, taking Bucky’s hand and putting it in his own hair. 

Bucky scratched his scalp lightly, “I’m not going anywhere, Pete. I’m just going to go to the kitchen to get some stuff to make you feel better.”

Peter’s breaths were getting more and more shallow, “Hey, bud, can you give me a number?”

Peter took two short breaths then, “10.”

Bucky moved immediately, “Okay.” He grunted a bit as he stood up and sat next to Peter on the couch. He pulled Peter into his lap and wrapped his arms securely around him, “Alright, pal, deep breaths.” Peter tried, but it was shaky and shallow, “I know this is scary, but you’re doing such a good job. You did a good job at the doctor’s office and I’m going to help you get through this.” 

Peter pressed his forehead to Bucky’s shoulder, his little body working as hard as it could to get some air in Peter, “Do you want to go lay down in my bed?”

Peter shook his head vigorously, “Okay, okay. You’re doing great, pal, keep taking those deep breaths. I love you so much, Pete.”

Peter’s breathing was slowing and Peter’s fingers were twisted in Bucky’s shirt, “‘m sorry.”

“You don’t have to be sorry, pal, that’s what I’m here for,” Bucky replied. 

They sat in silence for a bit, then Peter began to fidget in Bucky’s lap, “What’s wrong?”

Peter didn’t quite reply, “Ow.” He whined. 

Bucky lifted Peter up with him, “Let’s go get some meds, yeah?”

Bucky sat Peter on the kitchen counter where he could see everything, then grabbed the pain meds that Bruce had made and a bottle of water from the fridge. He brought them back over to Peter, “You feel okay to take these?”

Peter nodded and downed the pill, followed by a large sip of water. He cringed in pain a bit as the water brushed over his sensitive mouth. When Bucky was sure Peter had swallowed the pill, he reached into the freezer and pulled out an ice pack wrapped in a towel. Peter took it gratefully and held it to his swollen cheek. 

Bucky reached out and picked Peter up once more, carrying him to the couch, where they both lay down. 

The disc already in the player, Bucky loaded the Star Wars movie Peter has requested, then settled in to watch. 

Peter lay on Bucky’s chest fiddling with Bucky’s shirt a bit. The opening crawl scrolled across the screen.

“How are you feeling?”

Peter wiggled a bit, pushing closer to Bucky. Bucky wrapped his arm around Peter a little tighter, “Better.” 

As Luke approached a decimated farm, Bucky cast a downward glance in Peter’s direction. 

Peter’s eyes were closed in a light sleep. His breathing was steady, a sharp contrast to his panicked demeanor earlier. His eyelids fluttered but didn’t open. 

The lock at the door clicked and in walked Steve. Bucky put a finger to his lips, motioning for him to be quiet but it was too late; Peter stirred and made bleary eye contact with Steve. 

Steve smiled, “Hey, Pete!” He whispered, brushing his fingers through Peter’s hair, “How are you feeling?”

Peter leaned into the touch as Bucky watched on fondly, “Good.”

Steve smiles, “That’s good. You feeling hungry?” Steve motioned to the bag he was holding, “I brought some soup and stuff home.”

Peter nodded sleepily, “Alright, well then, why don’t you and Bucky keep watching and I’ll go heat this up?” Then, Steve leaned down to Bucky, placing a chaste kiss on his lips, “Hi you.”

“Hey.” Bucky reached his free hand up and put it on Steve’s cheek, pulling him in once more. 

Before Steve walked off to the kitchen, he pulled a fuzzy blanket off the other side of the couch and tucked it tightly around his family. Peter nestled close to Bucky, allowing the blanket to envelop him. They lay in silence for a little while longer, enjoying each other's company and letting the John Williams score float around their heads.

"Buck?" Peter mumbled, mostly into Bucky's chest.

"Yeah?"

There was a pause, and then a whisper. It was so quiet that Bucky wasn't sure if he had imagined the words or not, "I love you."

Bucky's heart swelled with pride and adoration and  _love,_ "I love you too, Pete." He kissed the top of Peter's head and rubbed a soothing hand over his back, "So much."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this started out SO GOOD. and then it just fizzled out at the end and sdjkfhsk writing is so hard.
> 
> Thanks for all your super kind and constructive comments? What did I do to deserve such kind and awesome readers? Thanks for every time you leave kudos or comments or even just every time you read it! you guys keep me going.


	7. Paternity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sure, Peter loved Bucky like a dad, but this really was just a slip of the tongue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a thing I wanted/a request I got and now it exists so here you go!  
> Also a side note: PLEASE do not hesitate to suggest prompts to me. Father/son prompts are super scarce and I come up with all of these on my own so pleeeeease tell me when you have an idea.  
> I love you all! Happy new year!!

"...and that's why I don't think Snoke is actually dead and that he could totally be Darth Plagueis."

Bucky nodded, his eyes not leaving the screen, "Uh huh." He was sitting up, propped against the arm of the couch. Peter lay half on top of him, his head pressed to Bucky's belly. A flesh hand rested on Peter's back.  _The Force Awakens_ played on the TV in front of them.

Peter had been talking for a solid five minutes about his theories about The Last Jedi.

"Now...who is Darth Plagueis?"

Peter's laughter made Bucky smirk a bit (despite the fact his question was legitimate), "Oh my god, Dad."

Bucky's heart skipped a beat.

Peter tensed suddenly under Bucky's hand and he sat up, pushing Bucky's hand off of him.

Bucky looked at Peter. Peter looked at Bucky.

Red-faced, Peter jerked a thumb towards the hallway, "You know, I should- I have homework- like I shouldn't have even-"

Bucky felt himself flush as well, "Oh yeah, I should- we can pick this up later?"

Peter nodded, not trusting himself to speak and dashed away to his room, shutting the door.

* * *

 

"-And then I called him Dad!" Peter flung himself back onto his bed dramatically.

Steve chuckled. Oh, how much money he would've paid to see the look on Bucky's face, "I'm sure it's not that serious, Pete."

Peter groaned and sat up again, "What if he thinks it's weird? What if he thinks I'm weird?!"

Steve smiled warmly and leaned forward in Peter's desk chair, "I'm going to tell you this right now and let me know if I lose you: Buck adopted you, Pete." Peter immediately looked sheepish, "He basically signed up to be called Dad for the rest of his life. So I can almost guarantee that he might be freaking out a little, but it's in the best way. Buck and I love you more than anything."

Peter blushed furiously and became very interested in his bedsheets, "Love you too."

Steve grinned, "So can I be called Pops?" And Peter groaned and buried his face in the pillows.

* * *

"-And then he called me Dad!" Bucky looked to be on the verge of tears. 

Steve was beginning to feel a very strange sense of deja vu. 

"Buck, seriously, he's already embarrassed. Don't make it worse."

Bucky wrung his hands, "I know, but I just- I don't even know what to do."

Steve's eyebrows knit together, "Act normal? He didn't tell you he was a Satanist or something. Whatever." He shrugged, then tilted his head to the side and gave Bucky an evil smile, "Or..."

* * *

Peter managed to stay in his room the rest of the night and the next morning, he forced himself to face his parents. He stepped into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes, and then was met with a horrifying sight, "What the-"

There Bucky stood in all his glory, sporting khaki cargo shorts, a girl's college lacrosse sweater, and a baseball cap. On his feet were tattered New Balance shoes, "Morning, kiddo!" He exclaimed cheesily.

"Uh..." Peter looked around and caught sight of Steve at the kitchen table, reading the newspaper and sipping coffee, "What is going on?"

Steve smirked before raising the cup to his lips once more. Bucky smiled brightly, "Whaddya say, sport? Wanna toss the ol' pigskin around?"

Bucky watched in silent glee as a deep blush crept up Peter's neck and danced across his face, "Is this because I called you Dad?"

There was a moment of silence before Steve burst into a fit of laughter, nearly spitting his coffee across the table. Bucky broke character and collapsed against the counter, heaving from laughter. He wiped tears from his eyes and attempted to catch his breath, "Ah, I'm sorry, Pete, that was mean."

"Ya think?" Peter grumbled, grabbing the milk from the fridge and pouring it into his bowl of cereal.

"Hey, hey, hey." Bucky stopped laughing and walked up to Peter, standing next to him. Peter wouldn't meet his eyes, instead choosing to focus intently on his breakfast.

Bucky wrapped his arms around Peter's shoulders from behind, ducking his head by Peter's face, "I love you and I am honored and I promise I am just giving you a hard time." 

Peter smirked a bit but still didn't look up, "I love you too."

Bucky grinned, then resumed his fatherly persona, "So is that a no to throwing the ol' pigskin around?"

Peter couldn't help but burst out laughing. He turned around, still wrapped in Bucky's arms and buried his face in Bucky's chest, "Shut up."

Then he hugged Bucky back, "Love you, Dad." 

A warmth filled Bucky, "Love you too, kiddo."

There was a thwap as Steve dropped the newspaper on the table, "What am I, chopped liver?"

Peter giggled and released Bucky to go wrap his arms around Steve, "Love you too, Pops."

And Steve didn't stop smiling for the rest of the day.

 

 


	8. When the Day met the Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter rests. Bucky reminisces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I need to mention that in some of these one-shots, Bucky and Peter live in the Tower and in others, they live in an apartment. It's usually pretty clear which one it is based on the context of the one shot. This one, they live in the Tower.

The coffee felt lukewarm in Bucky's hand but somehow still burned his tongue. He muttered a curse under his breath as he opened the door to Peter's hospital room. 

Steve was sitting in a chair next to the bed, book in hand, but it was clear he wasn't reading. His eyes shifted from Peter's comatose form to the window, where the moon was rising in the sky. When Bucky walked into the room, he plastered a smile on his face, "You have a nice shower?"

Bucky only shrugged. He really hadn't taken pleasure in being away from his injured son for so long, although he did appreciate the hot water on his aching muscles, "Did the doctor say anything?"

Steve stood and cast a glance at Peter, "They're sure they got all the bullets and bullet fragments out. They said he--"

"Wait, hang on," Bucky interrupted, "What do you mean, bullet _s_?"

Steve sighed and set his book on the table, "Buck, don't-"

"No, I don't understand. What do you mean?"

Steve ran a hand through his own messy hair, "Doc says he was shot 4 times."

Bucky closed his eyes, using all his energy to suppress the rage that was boiling up.

Steve's voice pulled him out of his trance, "Don't go down this road, Buck. Tony's looking into it; they'll find this son of a bitch."

Bucky opened his eyes and looked over to Peter. He was surrounded by so many machines and wires. What scared Bucky the most was how pale he was. The doctor says that was to be expected, though, so Bucky tried not to worry.

It did not work.

A silence passed through the room like a ghost, leaving Bucky suddenly freezing. He shivered unconsciously, and Steve picked up his jacket, which had been lying over the back of the chair, and draped it around Bucky's shoulders. A soft hand came to rest on Bucky's cheek and Bucky leaned into the touch, "He'll be okay."

"I know." Bucky hesitated, selfishly wanting Steve to stay and hold him until this all blew over. But one look at Steve's greasy hair, rumpled clothes, and tired eyes and he knew what he had to do, "Go shower. Take a nap at home. I'll stay with him."

Steve looked like he really really wanted to, but he turned around to look at Peter's unconscious body, "Go. I'll call if anything changes."

Steve looked back at Bucky, then pulled him into a pure and hopeful kiss before grabbing his book, kissing Peter on the forehead, and leaving.

Bucky slipped his arms through Steve's jacket and wrapped it around himself. It was still warm from when Steve had been wearing it before. He stretched his legs out, resting his feet at the end of the bed, right next to Peter's blanketed legs. He watched Peter sadly, feeling his heart clench. Someone had  _shot_  his  _kid_. Multiple times.

A memory rose from deep in Bucky's subconscious.

_"It's just a graze, Mr. Winter Soldier, sir. I'm fine."_

_The wince that Peter gave as Bucky dragged him into the alley, away from the action, said otherwise._

_"Okay, kid, sure. You know, I wish you'd stop calling me that." Bucky replied in an attempt to distract Peter from the bleeding wound at his side._

_Peter looked up and he almost looked fearful, "Stop calling you what?"_

_"Mr. Winter Soldier. And sir. You make me feel old."_

_"Well, technically-"_

_"I want you to rethink the ending of that sentence." And Peter fell silent, smiling to himself._

_Bucky pulled a clean towel from the small first aid bag he kept at his side. Peter was adjusting his position again, clearly in pain._

_"Hey, look at me."_

_"What-" Peter cut himself off with a yelp of pain as Bucky pressed the towel to Peter's side. He pushed away, but Bucky placed a firm hand on his shoulder to keep him steady._

_"Look at me." When Peter obeyed, his eyes were watery, "Take a deep breath."_

Bucky smiled a bit at the memory, despite remembering the fear rising in his throat as he dragged Peter out of the line of fire and back towards the Quinjet.

God, that was only a few weeks after the last time he had been in this hospital.

* * *

 

"Bucky." Bucky's eyes snapped open and Peter was standing in the doorway.

"Pete? Is something wrong?"

Peter sniffed, "Um, I need you to drive me somewhere." Peter was wiping at his eyes, "I just-um, I just got a phone call from New York Presbyterian in Queens. They-they said that-Aunt May's been in an accident."

Bucky was wide awake now and he set about turning on a lamp, pulling on his sweatshirt and searching for a pair of jeans, but Peter kept going, "Mr. Stark left for Hong Kong last night or I'd ask him, and I couldn't find Captain Rogers, or I would've asked him. I just thought that I know it's late but-"

Bucky cut him off as he pulled a pair of jeans over his boxers, "Go get dressed. 5 minutes."

Peter gave Bucky a surprised look, tears streaking his face, but he nodded, "Okay." and ran back to his room.

True to his word, Bucky was ready to leave 5 minutes later, and he grabbed his car keys off the hook. Peter was standing in the garage next to Bucky's car, clutching his phone close to his chest.

It was clear he hadn't stopped crying since he got the call. Even now, tears were drenching his face. Peter looked up as Bucky walked across the garage and unlocked the car.

Still trying to wake up, Bucky decided not to say anything to Peter as the pulled out of the garage at the Tower and into traffic. The roads were surprisingly clear for...Bucky cast a glance at the clock...1:26 AM.

Peter hadn't said anything either, which was a marvel. Normally, Bucky couldn't get the kid to shut up (not that he minded). He was trembling like a leaf and his breathing was irregular, almost like he was taking 2 breaths in and releasing 1.

So, Bucky reached one hand over and placed it on top of Peter's, rubbing his thumb over the back of Peter's warm hand.

Just like he suspected, Peter burst into tears all over again. The kind of tears where you cry for a minute before the sob comes out, heartbreaking and gut-wrenching. The kind of tears that make you hunch over and hug yourself. Which is exactly what Peter did.

Bucky moved his hand to Peter's back to gently stroke his back, "It's okay, pal." He whispered gently as they pulled into the hospital parking lot, praying he was right, "It's gonna be okay." 

Bucky was startled from his thoughts by a nurse entering the room. She smiled at Bucky but kindly didn't make small talk with him. 

She walked straight over to Peter to read his monitor. She jotted down a few notes. Then, she turned her attention to his IV bag. She squeezed it a little bit and smiled happily, "His vitals are doing really well. The doctor is expecting him to wake up any time now. He should make a full recovery."

He smiled softly at her, "Thank you." She nodded politely and left, closing the door quietly behind her.

He stared at the spot where she had just been standing.

* * *

 

"I'm very sorry, Mr. Parker. Unfortunately, all we can do is make her comfortable now."

Peter was frozen, staring at the door of his aunt's hospital room, where she lay unconscious. If Bucky hadn't known any better, he would've just thought she was sleeping.

Peter just nodded, and the doctor excused herself.

Peter went from breathing normally to hyperventilating. Bucky stood in front of him, crouching to be at eye level and placing both hands on Peter's shoulders.

"Peter, look at me."

Peter did but his eyes were wild, "I don't want to go in there, please, don't make me go in there." He rambled.

"Peter, focus on me." And their eyes met, "Take a deep breath with me and listen, okay?" Bucky didn't leave any room for Peter to start talking again, "I know you love her, and I know this is your worst nightmare, but not going in there does not mean that she won't die. All it means is that you won't be there for her in her last moments. I know you want to be there for her like she was always there for you."

Peter looked helpless and it struck Bucky that he was talking to a  _16-year-old_ kid who was about to be orphaned for the second time in his very short life.

"I'm scared."

Bucky softly ran his hands over Peter's shoulders and arms, "I'll be right there with you the whole time. You're not going to be alone." Bucky hoped Peter caught the double meaning in that.

Peter didn't make a move, so Bucky reached slightly behind Peter and turned the handle, pushing it open ever so slightly. Peter looked at the door like it was the entrance to his own execution and Bucky was almost sure that was how he felt.

Peter took a step inside and froze again. Bucky, right behind him, put a hand on his shoulder, "Go on, kid. It's okay."

So, Peter tiptoed over to the bed. Then, much to Bucky's surprise, he climbed in bed next to her and curled up. Bucky was sure his heart was going to disintegrate when Peter pushed her limp hand into his hair.

Bucky stood by the door, trying to give the boy some privacy but also letting him know that he was there for him. He could hear Peter talking to her faintly. Bits of promises of staying in school, saving people, and being a good person reached Bucky's ears. This woman had raised a good kid.

But then the monitor's beeping started to slow, and Peter's breathing became rapid, "I'll be good. I won't cause too much trouble for Mr. Stark or anyone else. I'll bury you next to Ben and Mom and Dad. And I'll visit you and bring you flowers like we used to do for Mom on Mother’s Day."

Slower.

Peter was sobbing now, gripping May, "Please don't leave me. I don't know what to do."

Slower. A nurse and doctor had entered now.

Bucky's heart ached. He was reminiscent of finding Steve holding his sick mother's body as though he could will her back to life.

His phone buzzed. Speak of the devil.

**Hey, where are you? Peter's not here either. I just got back from being out with Sam.**

**_Long story. Won't be home for a while. Will explain later._ **

Then there was solid beeping and Peter let out an agonizing wail. The doctor felt her pulse without jostling Peter, then turned to the nurse, "Time of death: 3:49 AM."

“No!” Peter moaned, burying his face in her shoulder, “No, please, don’t leave me. Please, don’t go.”

Bucky moved in closer as the doctor offered her condolences. There was a chair near the bed and he pulled it closer, so he could place a gentle hand on Peter’s back.

They sat for a full hour before a nurse beckoned Bucky outside.

“I’ll be right back.” He whispered to Peter, not sure if he could hear him over the sound of his own crying.

He stepped into the hallway and closed the door, “There’s an influx of patients being directed here. I’m very sorry, but we need the bed.”

Bucky hesitated, not quite understanding, then it hit him like a truck and a deep feeling that he could only describe as black hit him, “Oh.”

He opened the door and the nurse hung back in the open doorway.

Peter jumped a bit as Bucky put a hand on his back again, “Peter?”

As though he knew what Bucky was going to say, Peter shook his head weakly, “No. Please. Please just let me stay with her.”

Bucky cast a glance at the nurse and her face was sympathetic, but she shook her head sadly, “I’m sorry, buddy.”

“Please, Bucky, I’m begging you. Don’t make me leave her.”

At that moment, a group of people arrived, presumably to remove May’s body. Bucky reached his arms under Peter’s side and pulled him into his arms in a bridal carry.

“No!” Peter’s screams shattered the room, “Bucky, please! Don’t-you can’t take her!”

Bucky sat back down with Peter in his lap. He was crying hysterically, and Bucky half expected him to try to jump back out of his arms and into the bed, but he was weak with grief and burrowed closer to Bucky.

“It’s okay. I know. You’re gonna be okay, Peter, I promise.” And Bucky was sure if he closed his eyes, it would be Steve in his arms, not Peter.

One of the people pulled the sheet over May’s face and Bucky knew that was their cue to leave. He hoisted Peter up and carefully maneuvered the crying teen through the doorway and into the hall.

“Sir, we need to have Social Services evaluate the situation.”

Anger flared up in Bucky. May’s body was barely cold, and they already wanted to throw this kid into social services, “Contact the lawyers of Tony Stark. They’ll fill you in on the arrangements.”

Without waiting for an answer, Bucky carried Peter, who’s sobbing had lowered in both volume and intensity.

By the time they reached the car and Bucky had helped Peter into the passenger seat, he was in a nearly catatonic state. He was silent, staring at his hands, for the entire car ride home.

Steve met them at the door and Bucky presumed FRIDAY had notified him they had arrived. He looked happy to see them, until Bucky emerged with Peter’ in his arms. Steve’s face shifted to worry, and he opened his mouth to say something, but Bucky shook his head and Steve didn’t speak.

Bucky went back to his own floor and lay Peter in his bed. He paused to sit on the edge of the bed next to Peter. He hesitated, “Peter…Peter, I’m so sorry.”

Peter didn’t answer.

“We’ll take care of you. You know that. I’ll call Tony and tell him what happened. He’ll take care of it. Nobody is taking you from us. You know that, right?”

Bucky expected no response, but Peter nodded slowly, staring straight ahead at the wall.

Someone cleared their throat and Steve was at the door. His face was pinched with worry.

“I’ll be right outside, Peter, if you need anything. I’ll be back in a minute.” No response.

Bucky rubbed his back for a moment, then stood and met Steve in the hallway, closing the door, “FRIDAY, make sure Peter doesn’t hear this.”

“Activating Protocol 827.”

When they were sure the protocol was activated, Bucky sighed and scrubbed his face with his hands, “Peter woke me up at like 2 this morning. May got into an accident. She passed away like 2 hours ago.”

An emotion passed over Steve’s face that Bucky couldn’t quite identify. He knew Steve was thinking of his mother and Peggy. Hell, he was probably even thinking of Bucky.

“How’s he holding up?”

Bucky sighed again and shrugged, “I mean, the kid just got orphaned for the second time. He’s doing about as well as can be expected.”

Steve just nodded, eyes drifting to the floor.

There was a silence as Bucky’s mind raced with thoughts of what to do.

“Will you call Stark? Fill him in? I meant to call and didn’t get the chance. I told the nurses at the hospital to contact his lawyers for custody arrangements. I wouldn’t be surprised if Tony is named in the will anyway.”

Steve looked up and Bucky could see in his eyes that he wasn’t talking to Steve anymore; he was talking to Captain Rogers. Steve nodded, “I’ll get in touch with him.” He glanced at the clock, which read something past 5 AM, “It shouldn’t be too late there anyway.”

While Steve left to go finish his task, Bucky went back into the room.

The shades were still drawn, and the sun hadn’t risen yet. It was dark, but Peter had turned on the lamp on the nightstand. Bucky came to his side.

There was a silence as Peter stared ahead for a minute longer, then looked at Bucky with bloodshot eyes.

“Tell me what I can do, Peter. Anything.”

Bucky was sure that if he hadn’t been listening so intently, that if it hadn’t had been so quiet in that damn room, he never would’ve heard it.

“Please just hold me.”

Bucky paused to make sure he’d heard Peter correctly but wasted no more time in laying down next to Peter. 

* * *

 

Steve opened the door and came straight over to Bucky, “How’s he doing?”

Steve's hair was still wet, but he’d had the sense to comb his before leaving the Tower. He was wearing new clothes and carrying another jacket, presumably to replace the one Bucky was currently wearing.

“Good.” Bucky adjusted his position, letting his back pop, “The nurse said he should be waking up any time now.”

Steve let out a breath of relief, “Good. Good.”

* * *

 

Peter was laying on Bucky’s chest when the sun finally rose all those hours later. They’d received word from Steve that Tony was due back later that day and that his lawyers were taking care of custody arrangements, but Bucky and Tony would need to talk when Tony returned.

And Bucky held Peter the whole time. Peter slept in half-hour increments, always fitfully and always waking up with a whimper. When that happened, Bucky held him a little closer and spoke softly.

Steve had slept, much to Bucky’s relief. He knew he’d have to go and comfort him at some point as well. When he entered the room to offer Peter and Bucky something to eat, he looked semi-rested and Bucky was glad.

When Peter refused breakfast, Bucky did the same.

The day was spent in bed. Both Bucky and Peter slept, but not for very long.

When Tony finally arrived, FRIDAY alerted them. Peter did not move, even when Tony entered the room wearing sweatpants, t-shirt, and a sad look.

He bent down to be at Peter’s level, meeting the teen’s eyes as his head lay on Bucky’s chest, “Hey, kid.” Peter didn’t respond or react, even as Tony pushed a hand through Peter’s hair.

Then he stood again, “Barnes, can I talk to you for a minute?”

Bucky looked down, “Is that okay, Pete?”

Peter nodded and reluctantly moved his head from Bucky’s chest to the pillow behind him. Bucky rolled out of bed, giving Peter’s arm a quick squeeze before following Tony down the hall.

Tony sat down on the couch and Bucky had a feeling this wasn’t good news, “The lawyers are concerned about me adopting or fostering Peter. Their concern is that the court will review my very public history and deny it. If they do, Peter won’t be allowed to stay here anymore.”

Bucky’s heart sank. This poor kid could not catch a break, “So, what does that mean for him?”

Tony let out a long sigh, “Well, they had an idea.” He met Bucky’s gaze, “You.”

“Me?! They won’t let you have him, but they’ll give him to a hundred-year-old former assassin with PTSD.”

Tony nodded and walked over to meet him in the center of the room, “Provided you continue with the therapy you’re already doing. After your work in Wakanda, the courts are willing to work with you on it or even overlook it entirely, depending on the case we make.”

Bucky brought his hands to rest on his hips and shook his head incredulously, “Are we even sure this is what he wants?”

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but he’s not really in any state to be telling us exactly what he wants, and we have to move quickly before the courts retract the offer. If Cap co-signs, they’ll absolutely grant you custody.”

Bucky paused to think.

He was making the biggest decision of his life. He’d have a kid who would completely rely on him for everything.

When Bucky met Tony’s gaze, his eyes were burning with tears, “Do you really think I can?”

“If I didn’t, I’d be arguing with the court right now, not you. I’ve already exhausted all _my_ options.”

Another silence.

“Okay.”

* * *

 

Buck.”

Steve’s voice was breathy, shocked. When Bucky refocused, Peter was twisting in bed, getting comfortable. His eyes fluttered open sleepily.

“I’ll go get a nurse,” Steve said, already halfway to the door.

Peter yawned and Bucky moved closer to rub his hair, “How’re you feeling bud?”

Peter yawned again and gazed at Bucky through half-lidded eyes, “Like I got shot 4 times.”

Bucky chuckled, feeling tears touch his cheeks for the first time in a long time, "Figures." He replied sarcastically, pressing a kiss to the top of Peter's head, "You idiot."

The nurse and Steve entered again. The nurse checked his vitals, his memory, and looked at his incision site. When he was happy with the results, he invited Steve back out to the desk to fill out some forms.

"'M sleepy, Buck," Peter said as Steve and the nurse exited.

Bucky's hand was firmly planted in Peter's hair, rubbing it gently, "Okay, bud. You can go to sleep. I'll be here."

As sleep pulled him under, Peter snuggled into Bucky's touch, "Love you, Buck."

"Love you too, Peter."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EVERY CHAPTER ENDS WITH THEM SAYING I LOVE YOU BECAUSE IM A BIG SOFTIE


	9. Missing You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter waits. and waits.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very happy about this omg

Peter's leg jiggled as he watched the clock anxiously.

4 more hours.

Somehow, for some reason, he was dreading the end of the time. Maybe the dread was anxiety. Or the fear of what he would know in those long hours. Either his life would change forever or it would stay blissfully the same.

Peter was desperate for the latter.

The bell rang, ending his history class. He gathered his supplies, gazing wistfully at the empty notebook page. Hopefully, that wouldn't come back to bite him in the ass. He followed his classmates into the hallway and forced his way through the crowd of students. Ned appeared at his side, talking a mile a minute about something Peter couldn't focus on. Then, Ned paused as Peter grabbed a new notebook and closed his locker, "Still worried?" Ned asked carefully.

Peter nodded, not trusting himself to not burst into tears. Ned gave him a hopeful smile, "Everything's gonna be okay, Peter! They'll be fine." Peter did not take those words to heart, but nodded and tried to match Ned's smile.

The time ticked by quickly. English passed, calculus passed and then he was sitting in Spanish with 10 minutes on the clock. He watched desperately as the hand ticked, ticked, ticked. The bell rang and Peter launched from his seat, grabbing his fully packed backpack and racing out the door.

Peter sprinted the whole way home.

_Maybe they're home early. Maybe everything is fine._

Much to Peter's disappointment, the apartment was empty. Nothing had moved from when Peter had left for school that morning. He set his bag in his room, then returned to the couch and sat down to wait.

And he did plenty of waiting. Sunset came and went with Peter waiting at his spot on the couch vigilantly. He did not turn on the TV or get on his phone. He feared he would only see bad news. When the clock struck midnight, anxiety swelled in Peter's chest

 _They're never late_. He thought, picking at a loose thread on his jeans.

So he stayed at his post. His head rested against the back of the couch and he sat up eagerly when he heard footsteps. Every time they passed by the door, his heart sank.

He lay down on the couch, fighting tears. Taking a deep breath, he inhaled the scent of the couch,  _It smells like him_

Then the lock clicked. Peter sat straight up, eyes locked on the door. Had he imagined it? Wishful thinking?

The door swung open and he walked in.

Bucky was holding his blue duffel bag, wearing rumpled clothes and dark circles under his eyes. He dropped his bag by the front room and closed the door.

Peter stood, "Bucky?"

There was a pause where they stared at each other. Peter's wide, scared eyes and Bucky's kind, tired eyes meeting between the couch and the front door.

Bucky smiled weakly, "Hey, pal."

Without another word, Peter thrust himself into Bucky's arms. Bucky wrapped his arms around Peter tightly. Bucky was shaking and fell to his knees. Peter followed suit, still tucked securely in his father's arms.

Bucky and Peter separated and Bucky studied Peter's face. A soft hand brushed Peter's face, wiping tears away before settling against his tear-stained cheek, "God, it's so good to see you, Pete."

Peter slept in Bucky's bed that night. Steve was stuck in debriefing so Peter took his spot. Bucky was clearly exhausted. He had showered and changed, then collapsed into bed, his arm tucked tightly around Peter.

Peter pressed his face into Bucky's chest, inhaling the familiar smell of Bucky's soap. He nestled closer in Bucky's arms, "I got scared you weren't coming back." Peter whispered, "I thought -" His breath hitched and a sob caught in his throat.

Bucky rubbed a hand down Peter's back, "I'll always come home to you, Pete."

Under the promise of Bucky being by his side and out of exhaustion from worrying, Peter tucked his head under Bucky's chin and fell fast asleep.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi uh i'm alive? i've been so so busy but here's this! love yall bunches


End file.
